The Killing Moon (Dreamblood #1)(31)

The Gatherer’s agitation cooled somewhat, though his stance remained stiff. “It would if it were true. But you have been judged corrupt. These could be lies.”

Sunandi could think of no counter for that argument. Abruptly the whole situation wearied her; she sighed and rubbed her eyes. “They could be. For all I know, they are—lies fed to me, which I now feed to you. If I had all the answers, my job here would be done. As it is, I’m going to leave it unfinished; I must return to Kisua to tell my people what I’ve learned so far.” She paused, looked at him, realizing that nothing had been settled. “If you allow.”

That quick flex of his jaw muscles again, she saw, above neck-cords taut as ropes. After a long silence, however, the Gatherer jerked his head in a nod. “I declare your tithe in abeyance for now. Until I can confirm—or disprove—what you say.” His eyes narrowed to slits. “If you have lied, do not think fleeing to Kisua will save you. Gatherers have tracked commissions across the world in the past. Hananja’s Law outweighs the laws of any foreign land, to us.”

“Of that I have no doubt, priest. But how do you intend to discover the truth?”

“I will return to the Hetawa and ask my brethren.”

The man’s na?veté astonished her. This was a brother of the Prince? “I would not advise going back to your Hetawa. In the morning when no one finds me dead, the conspirators will know I’ve told you secrets. The Hetawa—this whole city—may no longer be safe for you.”

He threw her a look of withering contempt. “This is not some corruption-steeped barbarian land, woman.” He turned to leave; the youth fell in behind him.

“Wait.”

He paused, looking back at her warily. She went to her chest—still keeping her movements smooth and slow—and rummaged through it for a moment. “If you need to leave the city, give this to the guard at the south gate. Only before sunset, mind you; the shift changes at nightfall.”

She stepped forward and held out a heavy silver Kisuati coin. One face of it had been scuffed and scored, as if by accident.

The Gatherer stared down at it in distaste. “Bribery.”

She stifled irritation. “A token. The daytime guard at that gate is one of my associates. Show him that and he’ll help you, even tell you where I can be found. I mean to be beyond the walls by morning.”

He scowled, not touching the coin.

She rolled her eyes. “If later you decide I have lied, lay it on my breast after you kill me.”

“Do not dare to mock—” Exasperation crossed the Gatherer’s face and finally he sighed, plucking the coin from her hand. “So be it.”

He turned and walked out of the bedchamber into the darkness of the main room. She saw him appear again as a silhouette against the balcony hangings, the youth a smaller shadow beside him. He vaulted the railing, his protégé followed, and both of them were gone.

Sunandi let out a long, shaky breath.

After an equally long silence, Lin inhaled. “I’ll go now,” she said in Sua. Rising, the girl went to the corner where an open pack sat, half-concealed by a large fern; she began rummaging through it, making certain she had everything she needed. “Arrange things with our contacts. Should’ve gone last night, but I wanted to wait until tomorrow when most of the foreigners began leaving after the Hamyan—” She paused, hands stilling their brisk movements for a moment. “Thank the gods I delayed. If I hadn’t been here…”

Sunandi nodded, though absently. She hardly felt able to think, much less speak coherently. She’d faced many trials in her years as Kinja’s heir, but never a direct threat to her life. The Gatherer’s eyes glittered in her memory, so dark, so cold—but compassionate, too. That had been the truly terrifying thing. A killer with no malice in his heart: it was unnatural. With nothing in his heart, really, except the absolute conviction that murder could be right and true and holy.

Lin took her arm. Sunandi blinked down at her. “You need to leave now, ’Nandi.”

“Yes… yes.” Kinja had taken in Lin because of her quick wit and good sense; Sunandi thanked the gods for both in that moment. “I’ll see you in Kisua.”

Lin nodded, flashing one of her impish smiles. Then she was gone, slipping out of the apartment through the front door hanging, an oversized man’s robe wrapped around her to conceal the pack. The hall guards would see her and assume she’d just finished some tryst with one of the high-ranking guests. They wouldn’t question her as long as she headed toward the servants’ quarters. From there Lin could leave the palace and be out of the city before dawn.

Kinja should have made Lin the ambassador, Sunandi decided in momentary envy. She was more ruthless than Sunandi, and eminently better suited to the whole process. But for now, Sunandi would simply be grateful for Kinja’s good taste. She sighed, then turned to the chest to dig out her own pack.

Behind her, beyond the window, a man’s silhouette flickered across the setting Moon.





10





“This magic is abomination,” said the Protectors to Inunru, when the beast had been run to ground. “We will not permit it within our borders.” Thus Inunru went north along the path of the river, and with him went the most devout of his followers.